Recruiting Students to Computer Science Program via Online Games

Recruiting Students to Computer Science Program via Online Games N. Tadayon1, R. Tadayon2, and M. Tu1 1

Department of Computer Science and Information Systems, Southern Utah University, Cedar City, UT, USA

2

Undergraduate Student in Computer Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

Abstract – Incorporation of both conceptual and visual learning is an advantage that video games can provide. The concept of gaming has been used intensively for recruitment into Army or Athletic programs with success [2]. Games provide an excellent environment to explore ideas of computational thinking. Based on the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) [8], 67% of US households play computer and home console video games. The trend indicates a recent increase in involvement, especially in younger generations. Since the new generation is digitally native, Digital Game-Based Learning (DGBL) is rapidly receiving more attention. The phrase “edutainment” (educational entertainment) is defined by the strategy of combining the methods of teaching and the interactive environment of gaming to attract students [22]. The total number of graduates in Computer Science has been decreasing compared to other disciplines. This paper deals with the innovative method of recruiting students into the CS program through online gaming. Keywords: Recruiting, Online Game, Computer Science, Gaming industry, Higher Education, NSF

1

Introduction

1.1 Enrollment in Computer Science NSF (National Science foundation) report shows that there has been a sharp decline in the number of graduates in Computer Science programs. Based on the data, during 2002-06, the number of graduates in Computer Science had decreased by 14% [15]. In the same period, the number of graduates in all SE (Science and Engineering) programs increased by 7%. HERI (Higher Education Research Institute) at UCLA's Freshman Survey indicated that “the percentage of incoming undergraduates among all degreegranting institutions who indicated they would major in CS declined by 70 percent between fall 2000 and 2005”. CRA (Computer Research Association) in their March 2007 report signified that after six years of declines, the number of new CS majors in Fall 2006 was half of what it was in Fall 2000 (15,958 versus 7,798) [21]. During 2005-06 the percent change in enrollment for the Computer Science

discipline was about -0.7% whereas the increase in SE and Science were 1.68% and 1.55 %, respectively. This change is shown in figure 1: Figure 1 - Graduate enrollment in thousands in SE (Science and Engineering), SC (Science), and CS (Computer Science) from 2002–2006

1.2 Financial Support in Computer Science The Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) section of the NSF is made up of three divisions as Computer and Communication Foundation (CCF), Computer and Networking Systems (CNS), and Information & Intelligent Systems (IIS). The “Broadening Participation in Computing” (BPC) program by CISE has indicated the fact that “Information technology (IT) is one of the fastestgrowing areas of job growth. Department of Labor projections have IT job growth outstripping IT degree production for the current decade. If the U.S. economy is to remain competitive, we must increase the number of students receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees in the computing disciplines”. However, the emphasis has been put in participation increase among those groups that historically have not participated at high rates: minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. In another program known as “CISE Pathways to Revitalized Undergraduate Computing Education” (CPATH), CISE has been funding to “transform undergraduate computing education on a national scale, to meet the challenges and opportunities of a world where computing is essential to U. S. leadership”. There has been an increase overall, but a decrease in the federally financed R&D (Research and Development) in computer science at universities and colleges since 2004. Before 2004, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which has been something of a godfather to the computer science field, reduced its financial support

in granting funds to universities sharply. The New York Times reported that DARPA's funding of university-based research dropped from $214 million to $123 million between 2001 and 2004. In 2000, NSF received about 3000 Computer Science proposals with a success rate of 30%. In 2004, the number of applications had risen to 6500 and the success rate had dropped to 16%. The following Figure demonstrates percentage change in Research and Development funding (overall change compared to CS) Figure 2- Percent change in R&D (federal and non-federal) funding for CS

quantitative data on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise with eight chapters entitled: • • • • • • • •

Elementary and Secondary Education Higher Education in Science and Engineering Science and Engineering Labor Force Research and Development: National Trends and International Linkages Academic Research and Development Industry, Technology, and the Global Marketplace Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding State Indicators

1.3 Employment Outlook

During the past few years, the total number of federally-financed R&D expenditures in the computer sciences at universities and colleges has declined whereas the overall federally-financed R&D expenditures have steadily increased. The offset has been to some degree covered by the state and local government, industry, and other sources. (http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/nsf08300/) Figure 3- Estimated Federal Obligation for Research by agency and major S&E fields: FY 2007

Job outlook for occupations in which at least 50 percent of workers have a bachelor’s or higher degree projected for 2000-10 shows an increase of 15 percent for all jobs. It also indicates the top percent change in “Computer systems analyst and scientist” with projected 59% increase in demand [5, 6, 19]. The latest employment outlook indicates that computer scientists and database administrators are the top outlooks among occupations and are expected to grow up to 37 percent from 2006 to 2016. This growth is much faster than average for all occupations. The job prospect is determined as “excellent” for the computing field (Statistics). Among the top six fastest growing occupations, three are computer related, two health related, and one personal care and service occupation [5, 6]. Figure 4 – Outlook 2006-16 Percent Change in four of the fastest growing occupations.

Among the fastest growing occupations requiring a doctoral degree, “Computer and information scientists” is the second. For Bachelor's degrees, “Network systems and data communications analysts” and “Computer software engineers” are the first and second among the top five.

SEI (Science and Engineering Indicator) is prepared by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Science Resources Statistics (SRS) under the guidance of the National Science Board [18]. It is first and foremost a volume of records comprising the major high-quality

Based on NACE (National Association of Colleges & Employers), the average starting salary offered for a bachelors degree in Computer Science has changed from $51,070 in Winter 2007 to $53,051 in Fall 2007 and $58,377 in Winter 2008 [23]. The data is from salary survey conducted by NACE. The increase in Computer Science salaries from winter 2007 to winter 2008 is more than 14% which is highest percentage increase among the disciplines

shown. NACE also indicates that among 2008 graduates, the highest demand is in Business, Engineering, and ComputerRelated Fields. Based on demand, employers had to turn to international students to fill needs.

2

Games as a Tool

2.1 Popularity of Games Science and Engineering has been one of the main focuses of the National Science Foundation and many efforts and activities have been funded and supported to improve the enrollment and interest in Science and Engineering. Based on a report of the summit on Educational Games released by the Federation of American Scientists, several attributes of games have proven useful for application in learning. These attributes include providing learners with cues, hints, and partial solutions to keep them progressing through learning. The report calls for the government to help fund video game research [17]. “Perhaps the most fatal flaw in the education of young people is that we apprentice young people into 19th century science rather than letting them play 21st century scientist. There’s a need to be able to ask the hypothetical. They need to be able to ask the questions why, what if, why not?” (Don Thompson, Assistant Director of Education and Human Resources, National Science Foundation) “Game developers have instinctively implemented a lot of the recommendations of learning scientists and used them to help players acquire a skill set that closely matches the kind of thinking, planning, learning, and technical skills that seem to be increasingly demanded in business. In the game world, the measure of a player’s success is complex and practical. Can you use your knowledge? Can you feed your people? Can you cure the patient? Can you beat Dan Snyder at his own football franchise?” (Henry Kelly, President, Federation of American Scientists) The word “game” holds multiple meanings. This paper focuses specifically on electronic and computer-based games. Most electronic games are developed with a targeted audience in mind. Computer networks have made it possible for gamers to interact with one another under open environments in real-time. The high level of animation and interactivity in such games has been successful in obtaining popular interest. [9, 13, 20] A well known example of this type of game is “World of Warcraft”, a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) which has attracted over ten million subscribers worldwide. These games, depending on their nature, may be used productively to teach leadership, coordination, problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

2.2 Games as an Educational Tool Although the concept of gaming has always played a critical role in developing skills in children through toys and media, only recently has it been recognized and explored as a tool in educational systems at all levels from elementary to higher education. Within higher education, the application has been more within the classroom environment, in teaching, for example, mathematics or the design and execution of an object-oriented programming (OOP) laboratory course [3]. Educational games have been used to close the gap between the application-oriented expectations of the learner and the theory-focused material. They can help to motivate and teach undergraduate university students in à basic automatic control course. The success of this approach has been demonstrated through the feedback from students [1, 4, 12, 14, 16].The concept of gaming within elementary and secondary education has been widely explored and many websites provide free online games that can be used to reinforce concepts in a wide range of topics. Educational games are gaining popularity and most of them have specific targeted audiences and learning objectives. More and more universities are offering degrees in Game development, including the University of Texas at Austin, Penn State, and Rochester Institute of Technology.

2.3 Concerns and Issues with Online Games Despite the widespread success of video games in households, parents still hold concerns about the content of games and the risks associated with online environments that allow open interaction between their child and other players. In Europe, according to a BBC report on Dec 4, 2007, based on a survey conducted from over 4000 families, more than 75% of parents were concerned about the content of video games played by their children [24]. Another issue raising concern is game addiction, especially related to online games. Fortunately, educational games can make a child’s time spent on video games more rewarding. The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers' Association has established a web site (www.askaboutgames.com) to help parents become more familiar with the ratings and types of games. Providing a safe environment under which the content is successfully taught to the player is the primary goal of an online educational game. The delivery and content of an educational game is an important factor in the success of edutainment. The author recognizes that success can only be achieved by addressing and taking parental concerns into account during development of such a game.

3

Online Game as recruiting tool

3.1 Use of Games to Recruit Students into Computing Programs During the past two years, the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) at Southern Utah University (SUU) has used the concept of gaming in an effort to recruit students into its computing programs. The computing club has held regular “LAN party” events, inviting high school students in the region to attend and participate in a variety of team-based games. The high school participants were encouraged to become members of the club and recruit students in their high schools to the program. Club members also went to the high schools and residence halls to present lectures on topics such as the benefits of computers, security, or how to avoid viruses, which were very well received. Because students already active in the program were able to connect and communicate well with fellow students, they were very successful as recruiters. However, these students were limited by the region in which they could recruit and their availability based on their schedules.

3.2 Recruiting Through Online Game The CSIS Department at SUU plans to develop and offer an interactive online game that would encompass a broader range of students in high schools. The main goal of this effort is to indirectly challenge students’ knowledge and teach awareness in computing concepts and facts through interaction with an online game. The initial focus would be on regional high schools, specifically students who are in SUCCESS Academy (successacademyonline.com/) and the long term plan is to expand the concept to the state of Utah. Educational games may require some incentive to motivate student interest and participation. The proposed game would have twelve levels with an increasing level of difficulty, each requiring the student to accomplish certain objectives and to complete activities in order to advance. There will be awards and recognitions to participating students upon reaching certain milestones throughout the game. The game will be designed to target specific students who are interested in technology and would be potential candidates for the Computer Science or Information Systems programs. The primary purpose of the game is to introduce and familiarize participants with programming and general knowledge in computing, such as logic and design, while reinforcing problem-solving skills.

3.3 Objectives of the Proposed Game The proposed game, offered as an online game, is directed towards senior students at high schools. The targeted audience can be reached through contact with the advisors of high schools across the region (in this case

Southern Utah). Each high school will be provided with the information required for its students to log in to the game. The game will have three phases. The first phase consists of the first three levels, the second phase holds the next three levels, and the final phase covers the last six levels. The objective of the first phase is to test students in their general knowledge. In this phase of the game, a player interacts with Non-Playable Characters (NPCs) and responds to questions, solves puzzles, develops sets of instructions to achieve goals (with specified simple syntax and grammar), and makes financial decisions based on information provided. Completion of this phase may require logic, science, mathematics, or general knowledge (the majority of these are covered in most high school curricula). The goal of this phase is to attract the players and immerse them in the online game. This phase may demand high-end graphics and interface elements. The second phase of the game concentrates on design, modelling, and decomposition concepts. The objective of the second phase is to get players familiar with the “divide and conquer” approach and the state of mind and tools necessary to solve larger problems. This phase may require the participant to put jumbled steps of a process in order, to divide a complex problem into smaller and more manageable parts, to identify the missing steps in a highlevel solution, or to understand computer components and how they work together, and in addition may cover topics related to ethics, security, networks, and safety. The third phase (final six levels) of the game will concentrate on providing topics covered in AP Computer Science. Upon successful completion of this phase, players would have gained the knowledge necessary to prepare them for the AP Computer Science (A) test. The students may then earn college credit by succeeding in the AP exam. Each of the final levels of the game will cover a chapter in AP Computer Science. Effectiveness of the online game will be assessed and evaluated. Based on the results of the assessment, modifications will be made as necessary to improve the game.

4

Future Work

The concept of online games as a tool for recruiting students into computing programs will be tested during the 2008-09 academic year with the assistance and participation of several high schools. The concept will be enhanced and expanded to cover more high schools after proper assessment. One of the co-authors, Ramin Tadayon, majoring in Computer Science, is undergoing research on the potential benefits of gaming in education. He has developed an online game in an attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive environments in both entertainment and the promotion of energy-efficient lifestyles.

5

References

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